Winds of Change
by superspreegirl89
Summary: A one shot based on the Twilight Soldier, Radiant Knight/Forgotten Waters universe. Almost seven years have passed and the Kingdom Scouts are still no closer to returning Axel, the now corrupted Kingdom Hearts, to normal. Ven joined the scouts to show he can be strong but finds himself trapped within his own darkness as Axel turns his sights on him. Some cussing, minor violence


**A/N-Hello my lovely readers! Here is the one shot I promised. A bit different than I originally planned but I like it. Hope you all like it too! ^^ Read and enjoy!**

 **NOTE: This story takes place after Forgotten Waters and Twilight Soldier, Radiant Knight. It probably won't make sense unless you read the original 2 stories. You'll find both of them under my profile page. :)**

He rolled the gum with his tongue to the other side of his cheek, shaping it into a sphere before mashing it down with his molars. His eyes sat trained on the courtyard where small patches of distorted reality shimmered and shifted. They called it Static. It showed up whenever there was a fight between the two or when the one went on a rampage, leaving it in his wake. The two being the Twin Hearts: Heart of the Worlds and Kingdom Hearts.

More commonly known as the late King Zexion and the Knight Axel.

Ven hummed as he watched the courtyard through his binoculars. There appeared minor signs of damage but no overall struggle. ' _Axel_ ,' he thought. ' _What was he doing here?'_ Notre Dame was one of the inner worlds but it managed to stay out of Xemnas's war by struggling with its own internal conflict at the time cause by polar viewpoints. Now it had settled back into peace but the war ended almost ten years ago. A lot can change in that amount of time. Ven shifted his butt to relieve some pressure on his hips. He sat on one of the church towers and began to scan the side streets for any activity. The armed guard were already detouring people around the Static to avoid further corruption. Most of the time the Static settled and nothing changed. Other times, it twisted the world or anyone who dared to venture too close, creating destructive heartless and nobodies.

Ven had the unfortunate luck of witnessing it first hand when both Hearts appeared in Traverse Town. They caused some damage in the Fourth District before the two vanished again. The Restoration Committee worked hard to keep people away but weren't so lucky themselves when one of the Static distorted, taking Yuffie with it. The two halves caused almost as much damage as the Hearts did. When they finally put a stop to her, Yuffie was beyond saving. His father made him look away but the sound of the shots never left his ears. That was three years ago. That was when… The teen shook his head to clear the thought.

Now almost twenty, Ven joined in the Kingdom Scouts, a group of elite fighters and trackers looking for Axel and finding a way to stop him. Six years and eight months had passed since the day Axel gave himself up to Kingdom Hearts in order to stop Sin. Ven had grown in that time through age and training. He was still rather short but well built, packing a punch for his petite size. His blonde hair swept to the side along his head to where three dark green rings sat upon his upper right earlobe. His wrists bore a dozen various bracelets on each side, some metal some fabric. When he moved, they created a delicate chime that trickled through the air.

"Where did you go?" he mused to himself.

"Must have gone back to that dark world place." Ven glanced to his right where one of the stone gargoyles bobbled his head along to some unheard song.

"Obviously," Ven replied, returning to his binoculars. "I'm trying to figure out where he might turn up from here."

The gargoyle tapped his chin. "Does it really matter?"

"Of course it matters," chimed in the second gargoyle, a much taller and thinner one. "He's trying to save the worlds."

"Way to be dramatic, Victor," the first gargoyle grumbled.

"Hugo, you leave that man alone," scolded the third statue, much older than the other two. "He's trying to do his job and you're distracting him." The gargoyle next to Ven hopped up and away, leaving Ven alone again in his analysis.

He frowned as he watched one of the Static start to morph. Nothing unusual about it but when the gauntlet shot out and the sharpened points dug into the street, he leapt into action. "He's back!" he shouted before leaping off the church. He punched his shoulder, armor materializing around him, and his keyblade appeared in his hand. Ven used the wind to carry him and he landed hard in the courtyard as Axel pulled his body out of the static, his lips black and pulled back into a snarl.

"We have a code going on in Notre Dame. Axel's returning to the scene. We're going to need backup," Ven called into his communicator.

"Make sure you don't engage," Kairi replied. Axel's feet dug into the ground and the red head's unseen gaze shifted to the blonde.

"Uh, it's a bit late for that," Ven replied.

"Ventus! Get out of there!" Riku ordered. The chakrams appeared behind Axel and burst into flames. Ven channeled his energy around his keyblade, creating a sharp blade of wind. He rushed forward, slashing at Axel's legs. He managed to grapple a building and pulled himself sideways out of the way in time as Axel pulled out his own blades. Distorted versions of his keyblades. Ven shoved off the building, leapt into the air, and slashed at the exposed part of Axel's neck. The red head swiped at him but Ven managed to nimbly arc around the blade.

"Ven, are you listening?!" Leon's voice shouted.

"I'm…kind of…busy…" Ven huffed as he tried again for Axel's neck. One of the large chakrams crashed into his chest and pinned him to the street. "Shit!"

"Ventus!" Riku shouted.

"I'm almost there!" Sora called over the communicator.

"Any day now," Ven said. He yelped as Axel picked him up and ripped off his helmet, the sharp points of his gauntlets digging into his face. A streak of blue light shot out of the sky and Axel went flying backwards as Sora full countered him. Ven went flying and he landed neatly on top of a house. "About time," Ven chided.

"You asshole! You're not supposed to engage him," Sora barked.

"What was I supposed to do? Let him destroy the square again?" Ven countered.

Sora wanted to shoot back a reply but blocked a pair of swings from Axel's blades. He leapt into the air, using energy Ven could not see, and it shot him around Axel to deliver a blow to his lower back. The Energy Flow, a series of energy channels floating around the worlds that appeared not long after the Heart of the World's return. Keyblade masters were able to see this energy and harness it into what Ven jokingly called Flowmotion. He himself wasn't a master so he couldn't see the energy. Not that he was salty for failing his exam twice now.

Ven stayed back in and used lightning spells to help Sora keep the upper edge with Axel. It was still a losing battle but they just needed to hold out long enough for more people to arrive. Axel knocked Sora flying through two different buildings and his gaze shifted to Ven on top of the roof. The blonde readied himself to fight again when a pillar of fire shot up around him, trapping him inside. Ven felt the oxygen get sucked out and his vision started to go black. He tried to get his wind to cut through the fire but it grew weaker with him.

"Ven!" Sora shouted as he pried himself out of a wall.

"Stand clear!" Kairi shouted. Sora hurried to the edge of the buildings and watched as several arrows made of light rain down upon Axel like missiles. The deity shouted in rage, sending his crakrams into the air at the girl free falling down from the sky. Kairi shifted her bow into her transport and zoomed off, dodging the blow. Axel bared his teeth and swiped his hand through the fire, clenching Ven tightly in his grasp.

"Let him go!" Sora shouted. He charged forward, slammed into a protect spell and earned a bloody nose as he watched Axel melt into the shadows, taking Ven with him. "Dammit! Ven! Ven!" he shouted into his communicator. All he got back was static.

"Did he take him?" Kairi asked from up in the air.

"Yes. They're both gone," Sora replied. Several curses echoed through the communication line.

"I'll be there shortly," a gruff voice came up on the line. Sora's attention shifted to his left as a dark portal opened and a figure beckoned to him. The Militia hurried over and the doorway was held until Kairi swooped down, darting inside.

"Thanks, Lex," Kairi stated. The Knight nodded with a grunt and began to lead the pair through the darkness.

"There!" Sora exclaimed. He pointed out at the void where it began to twist violently, a bright light glowing faintly inside of it.

"Let's see where he goes," Lexaeus stated. They hurried after the distortion, finding it hard to keep up, and it settled itself in a patch of green. Lexaeus ripped open the dark portal and they rushed out into a large field of wild grass. Sora rushed past the other two to the figure lying unconscious. He dropped to his knees, sliding the last couple feet, and picked up Ven's head in his lap.

"Hey, Ven! Talk to me," Sora called out. The teen moaned and his eyes cracked open.

"Sora?" he asked.

"Where's Axel? Did you see where he went?" the brunette pressed. The blonde shook his head.

"He called me Roxas," Ven murmured. Sora's jaw clenched tightly. "We have to help him."

"We will," Kairi said as she knelt down next to the pair. Lexaeus remained standing, his axe sword ready in case Axel showed up again. His eyes scanned the field, his nerves on edge despite his collected exterior. Dark portals worked well when chasing Axel but they were dangerous when trying to flee. Axel knew how to twist the darkness in ways even dark elementals couldn't master. Kairi did a quick assessment on Ven and determined he was okay. She instructed the blonde to take deep breaths to get more oxygen back into his system when a loud roar echoed in the distance. Sora and Kairi looked up, both on high alert, as Lexaeus began to channel his energy.

"We need to leave," Sora decided. He stood and picked up Ven fireman style while Kairi summoned her keyblade, turning it into a bow.

"Here he comes!" Kairi called. She pulled back on the string, a light arrow appearing within it, and she fired as the air distorted. Axel was knocked aside as he appeared and the earth shook before erupting behind the red head.

"Holy fuck!" Sora swore as the trio sprinted away to escape the churning earth. Zexion grappled with Axel, lightning and ice raining out of the sky as the two fought. "Lex, get us out of here!" Lexaeus opened a portal and they dashed through. They detoured and appeared in Balamb Garden to get out of the dark realm in case Axel decided to follow. They made sure to stay to the outskirts of the school in case both Hearts arrived. The students were already on edge by the appearance of the trio. "We're going to need a pick up," Sora panted into his communicator. He exchanged looks with Kairi, both wishing things had gone better.

XxXxX

Ven stood with his head down as Riku towered over him. The heat of the man's gaze hurt enough, let alone the lecture he just received. He had been told dozens of times he was never to engage Axel in combat because of his similarities to Roxas, the Twilight Guard now passed. Ven kept arguing they didn't look all that similar since his hair took on more a honey tone, his eyebrows were brown and his eyes were a darker shade of blue, not to mention a different build, but that was the third time Axel mistook him for Roxas. The first was on his first day in the field. The second was the day Yuffie died. Each time, Axel acted as though he was going to kill him but then always stopped before he did. Like he wanted Ven in some sort of unconscious state.

"Ven," Riku snapped, pulling the blonde out of his thoughts. "This can't keep happening."

"It was just the one time!" Ven protested but Riku silenced him with a glare.

"We don't know what he wants with you. I'm sticking my neck out by even having you on the Scouts. Your father is ready to strangle me. Merlin's not happy. Leon's not happy. I'm really not happy. You're already on thin ice and I don't want you to end up dead," Riku argued. "He could easily try to corrupt you like he did Roxas. What would you do then?" Ven kept silent. Riku placed his hands on Ven's shoulders. "You're a good kid. Just start thinking before you act, okay? We just want you safe." The blonde muttered his understanding and was dismissed.

He shoved his hands deep into his cargo pants pockets and scowled as he stormed down the trail along the beach. He kicked a rock on the path and found himself wandering towards the sound of strings. Ven turned out onto the boardwalk half buried in sand and followed it to the dock jutting out into the ocean. He plopped himself down next to the man gently strumming his sitar with his eyes shut, a fishing line in the water without bait. Ven wrapped his arms around his knees and rested his chin within the nest.

"It's not fair," he grumbled. "Why am I the only one who can't go after him? I can fight! I almost passed the exam that last time if Eraquis just would have given me more time." The man kept his strumming, not saying a word. Ven's eyes ran over the tattoos along his arm, noting the scars marring his skin. "It's just not fair," he muttered again.

The man sighed and opened his eyes, his fingers falling silent on his sitar. "You remind me a lot of Roxas when he was younger," Demyx commented. Ven scowled. "Rash, impulsive, eager to help. I know that's not what you want to hear but it's the truth. You need to set yourself apart."

"I've tried that!" Ven snapped.

"And what you've been trying has only cemented the similarities," Demyx countered, his eyes sliding over to the blonde beside him. The summoner sat up in his chair and set his sitar aside, resting his elbows upon his knees. "What do you think Axel's thinking when he looks at you?"

"I don't know. That I'm Roxas?" Ven said. "I don't get it. We don't even have the same keyblades! That's kind of a pretty big giveaway but he keeps insisting I'm him. I'm not!" Ven slammed his fist down on the dock. "I hate this!"

Demyx began picking at his nails. "You're not the only one his mistook. He thought Sora was Roxas back during the fight with Sin. At the time, he wasn't wielding the same keyblades either. He had his own and Riku's."

"Then what gives?" Ven grumbled. He flicked a tiny crab creeping along the dock into the ocean.

"I can only guess his vision is as distorted as he is," Demyx stated. "Remember, Axel's not fully awake within Kingdom Hearts. We may call him Axel but it's more like an echo of a shell. Kingdom Hearts may be looking for Roxas or maybe it's Axel's the one looking for him. Either way, we need to get him to a stable state of mind." Ven knew Demyx was thinking of Axel turning into another Sin but neither wanted to say it aloud.

The blonde rose to his feet and dusted off his pants. "If anyone's asking, I'm out to clear my head," he said quietly. Demyx nodded and returned his gaze to the ocean. Ven headed back to the beach, activated his armor, called his transport, and took off into the sky. He didn't know where he wanted to go he just knew he needed to go. For hours he flew around in the emptiness of space, letting the cold chill him and the threat of darkness press tightly against him. He knew he needed to calm down or one day the darkness may actually take him.

' _Maybe that's what Axel's trying to do,_ ' he mused. He sighed, wishing he knew what to do.

He felt a jolt and he looked up to see Static appearing around him. Ven tried to swerve around it but more patches appeared, closing him off. One clipped him and his transport reverted into a keyblade. Ven flailed, grabbing his weapon, and tried to get his transport back. His back slammed into a patch of Static and his brain felt like it was instantly scrambled. His body felt numb as he slid off, falling into the gravity pull of the nearby world. Through his blurry vision, he saw a shadow descending upon him. He knew he needed to call for help but he couldn't get his body to relay the alarm. A bright light blasted the shadow into shreds and Ven found himself passing out.

XxXxX

Everything hurt. It felt like someone sent him through the washing machine with a box full of nails and some hammers. He winced as a small bit of pressure rested upon his chest. Warmth spread through his body, shedding the soreness and giving him some energy. He cracked open his eyes to see a warm sky looking down on him with the colors of twilight. Purples, oranges, and pinks painted the scene blissfully. It occurred to him that he was floating in water as the gentle waves brushed against his cheeks. A colorful spark floated overhead, its movement sounding like tinkling bells.

"You're lucky to be alive," a familiar voice said in a soothing tone.

Ven blinked, wishing his vision would return. "Roxas?" he called out.

"Shh. It's alright. We're trying to heal you. Just lie still."

' _We?_ ' Ven wondered. He felt another hand rest on his shoulder and the joint screamed in pain. Ven let out a cry and more hands held him down. He heard more voices, some in languages he didn't recognize, and the pain kept shooting down his spine. The healing light didn't seem to be taking affect anymore. Ven tried to squirm out of their grasp and he felt something pulling at inside of him. "Let me go!"

"Ven, it's okay," Roxas's voice called out.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Ven cried. It felt like something was clawing at his insides and his body burned.

"We need to alert the others," someone said.

"I'll go," someone else said. Ven tried to squirm out of the hands again, screaming as the pain continued to burn in his body.

"Please hurry," Roxas whispered.

XxXxX

Seifer pinched the bridge of his nose as he landed, wishing he was home instead. Rikku shot him a concerned look but he waved it off. He just had a massive headache and coming back to Djose did not help in the slightest. He wasn't the first to arrive. Terra left far before he did but they requested the Captain come to help with the transfer. Seifer let out a huff, rose from his seat, and headed outside. The familiar scenery made him want to vomit and the smell of the Moonflow made him gag. How Roxas could standing living in the world of fallen soldiers was beyond him.

As he arrived at the Moonflow, he found Kairi, Sora and Riku standing along the bank with worried expressions. "Hey, Seifer," Sora greeted mutely.

"How's the kid?" Seifer asked.

"Damn lucky he fell into Djose," Riku replied. "The Static's corrupted him and it's been a fight just to keep it contained. We're going to transfer him with some of the Moonflow in order to keep him stable but we might lose him at any time."

"Is it like Sin sickness?" Seifer wondered.

"Worse," Kairi replied. Sora motioned for the Captain to go see for himself. Seifer strode out into the Moonflow where Terra stood alongside his son. Seeing the hole where Aqua should have stood gave him a grim reminder of what they were facing. Several of the ghostly soldiers waited in the wings, a few Seifer recognized, while white mages worked with the teen. He came to a halt beside Terra, the man shaking as he held his son's arm. To put it mildly, Ven looked like death. Or at least a form of it. White spines sprouted out of his back where he had hit the Static and his vision looked far away. His eyes lost all color save for a hint of blue, his skin ashen. Shadows crept over his skin like eels, little yellow eyes peering out at the humans gathered there.

"What do you think?" Seifer glanced to his open side to find Roxas standing there. The blonde looked no different than the day he died. Roxas would occasionally visit his friends but it took a lot out of him so he didn't travel more than twice a year. Last Seifer saw him was almost four years ago.

"What do you mean?" the Captain shot back.

"Can we even save him?" Roxas asked. "They're saying Axel did this on purpose."

"That's the first he's ever targeted someone."

"Exactly." Seifer glanced at the teen's father and motioned for Roxas to follow him to the side. The pair moved away so the others couldn't overhear them. "Axel's not looking for me."

"How do you figure?" Seifer asked, crossing his arms.

"Because he came here. He saw me and he fled. If he wanted me, he would have done so by now. It's not like I can leave whenever I want," Roxas argued. "I talked with Sora and Kairi. They said Axel called him Roxas yesterday when they encountered him but I think that's just confused jargon. Kingdom Hearts recognizes Ven as a previous vessel but can't identify him. Since the closest thing it has to go off of is Axel's memories, it thinks that Ven is me but he doesn't want me. Does that make sense?"

"No," Seifer said flatly.

Roxas scowled. "He's as messed up as Ven is right now."

"No shit. Has anyone tried to see if Zexion can reverse it?" Seifer pressed.

"They've been trying. Ienzo's been trying to contact his brother since he got the news. Ven can't stay here. He's already starting to slip away and there's nothing we can do to stop it. All we've managed to do it slow it," Roxas stated.

"And bringing him to Traverse Town will help how?"

"It's not for him," Roxas argued. Seifer glanced over his shoulder to Terra desperately doing anything he could for his child. "Just make sure you do it before he turns." Seifer grunted and let out another huff. The pair returned to the others and it took another hour before Ven was stable enough to move. They carried him off in a glass box full of the Moonflow, a lone pyrefly tagging along. It floated around the surface of the water, its wings brushing over Ven's cheeks as it flew over. Seifer didn't like bringing the kid home so he could die but what other choice did they have?

XxXxX

"He says he can't do anything," Ienzo said over the conference call. Riku swore and Sora slammed his fist into the arm of his chair. Kairi tucked a strand of hair behind her head and tried to stay calm.

"Nothing at all?" she pressed.

"It's like the Sin sickness. The corruption is being created by Axel so he has to be the one to clear it," Ienzo explained. "It's not that he didn't want to help. He just can't." Kairi looked over the King's tired face. He looked a lot like Zexion now that he was older but, like Ven, he had some subtle differences. His piercings, his pale eyes, a softer shape of the face, shorter bangs. Being a King had worn him down as well but he did manage to juggle his duties a bit better than his brother. Granted, he wasn't spending hours trying to research a cure of Sin sickness either.

"So our only option is to uncorrupt Kingdom Hearts," Kairi stated.

"We've been trying to do that for years," Sora complained. "It's not like we have a pilgrimage to go on or even a simple plan of "find the Shards" because there is nothing! We don't even know how its corrupted and it's been getting worse by the year." Kairi put a hand on his arm to calm his down.

"Has there been any reports on Axel's whereabouts?" Riku pressed.

"None that I've heard. I recommend putting extra security on Ven," Ienzo suggested. "If he went after him before, then there's a good chance he'll do it again." They ended the call and the Militia trio sat stewing in their thoughts. Despite all three becoming keyblade masters, nothing seemed to have changed from when they first started their mission to save Axel.

They looked up as there was a knock on the door. Riku said they could enter and Naminé poked her head inside. She wore her nurse's uniform and she had taken up the task of watching of Ven since he got back. "We might have a problem," Naminé said. She brought the trio to Ven's home in the Fourth District and they were lead to the upstairs bathroom. The four squeezed into the space, Ven's scratchy breathing and the sound of the pyrefly echoing in the tiled space. "I didn't notice it until just a little bit ago but take a look at this." Naminé eased Ven's upper body out of the water where a mark had started to form on his back.

"What is that?" Sora asked.

"It's hard to make out but I've cross referenced it with all the symbols we've used in the past. It doesn't match heartless, nobodies or unversed. It seems to be something else altogether," Naminé explained. She eased Ven back into the water, wiping her hands on a towel afterwards. "I don't know quite what to make of it but I feel it has to do something with Axel. What if he's making his own sort of corrupted creations? Something we've never seen before?"

"Then we'll just have to stop him before that happens," Sora stated. It wasn't easy. Weeks went by without any luck in reviving the blonde or stopping Axel. They noted Axel had become more active, which wasn't new but it concerned everyone. Even Zexion, when he appeared, seemed on edge. It felt like a calm before a storm, one no one wanted to happen.

XxXxX

Ven opened his eyes to the sound of his name being called out. The world still remained blurry and his body hurt all over, yet he felt like he needed to go. Where, he didn't know, but he felt a strong need to go somewhere. To someone. He sat up, water rushing off of him, and he crawled out of his container. The pyrefly skimmed over his shoulder and fluttered around his body as he padded over to the window.

 _Ventus._

"I'm here," he mumbled. He winced as he felt a blast of wind, the wall in front of him ripping clean off. Ven saw the outline of a figure standing before him. He gasped as a sharp pain stabbed into his back and his chest felt like it was ripping apart. His knees gave out and something cold wrapped around him.

 _Ventus._

 _Roxas._

"No," Ven muttered, feeling weak as the energy continued to drain him. A horrendous tearing sensation made him scream in agony. It felt like his heart was being torn out of his chest. Then it all became hollow and the cold started to seep into his body.

XxXxX

"What's that?" a kid asked his mother. Seifer looked up from his morning coffee and dropped the mug. He ordered everyone to get out of the area and charged forward, flicking his gunblade into his keyblade. Axel landed hard on the street and kicked Seifer square in the gut. The Captain went flying into a building and he tasted blood in his mouth. "Fuck," he growled. Axel ripped off the side of Ven's house and pulled out the teen in his grasp.

Naminé leapt out of the opening, keyblade in hand, and darted up Axel's arm to his face. She slashed at him, the red head swatting at her. Seifer dislodged himself and ran to help his friend. Ven screamed and Seifer tore off his eye patch. The man winced as the images flooded his mind but he saw the light glowing within Ven's chest. His heart. Axel knocked Naminé away and ran a pointed finger down Ven's chest. It ripped open his shirt and the teen screamed as the light glowed from within.

"He's trying to steal Ven's heart!" Seifer shouted. Naminé split into four, charging forward to distract Axel while Seifer shifted his keyblade into its rifle form. He fired at Axel's face, trying to draw the Heart's attention. His blood ran cold as Ven's screams cut off, the light in his chest plucked in between Axel's fingers. The blonde went limp in the deity's hand and Axel grinned before devouring the heart whole.

"What the fuck?!" Seifer cried. Axel stabbed a finger within Ven's open chest and Static began to flood inside of him. Naminé's projections shattered and she leapt back to avoid getting caught within it.

"Feed on the darkness," Axel rasped, his voice sounding like someone who smoked for the last eighty years. "Let it consume you."

"Ven! Don't give into the darkness!" Seifer shouted. He realized his voice cracked but he didn't care at the moment. He wanted to jump in and save the teen but he couldn't without the Static corrupting him. He wasn't sure if it was luck or bad timing that Terra had gone to get groceries not even fifteen minutes ago to get his minds off his son for one damn minute. He realized nothing was going to work so he did the only thing he could do. He aimed his rifle at Ven's forehead and fired.

"No!" Naminé cried. Seifer crumpled to the ground as he dropped into an un-waking sleep. Naminé called in reinforcements as she watched Axel continue to corrupt Ven, her eyes flicking back and forth between the teen and her friend on the ground. "Please, Seifer. Please find him," she prayed.

XxXxX

Ven felt the dark suppression of space press against him and he welcomed it like usual. What was the point in resisting? Nothing went his way anyway. A little darkness couldn't hurt. Eraquis warned him he might be tempted by darkness but who hasn't? It felt powerful. It gave him life. As it filled him up, he felt a series of familiar energy flow through him. He recognized the auras of his friends and of many people he did not know. He even felt a small presence of himself but that couldn't be. It felt so different. It must be a mistake. So full of hope and life. What a waste.

The familiar sound of the pyrefly echoed in his ear and he wished it would be silent. Nothing but a nuisance. "Leave me alone," he growled.

 _Ventus._ There was that voice again. Why did he know that voice? It irritated him and he wanted it to go away.

"Ven!" Another voice he recognized. He tried to push the voice away but it felt much stronger than him. "Ven, you need to wake up."

"No," Ven countered. "I'm tired of you all ordering me around. Now leave me alone!" He felt his energy ripple and the voice was blasted away into the void. Good. Silence.

 _Ventus._ Almost silence.

XxXxX

Seifer woke up on the ground and realized that Ven had actually banished him from his mind. "The little shit," he growled as his picked himself off the street. His eyes flicked to Axel to find him opening his hands. Hovering over his palms was a curled up Ven, his body covered in corrupted armor and his hair having one scarlet streak along the side. Axel shifted his hands and Ven floated down, his body uncurling. Ven's boots touched the street and his eyes opened to reveal bright venom green eyes. It seemed the power Axel infused in him gave him more than just armor. Ven summoned his keyblade and charged Seifer, the teen now standing over a foot taller than him. Seifer gritted his teeth as the strike nearly sent him flying backwards. Ven blasted the Captain with wind and he rolled head over heels down the street. Seifer switched his rifle to his keyblade and dug the end into the street, dragging him to a halt. His eye caught something shimmering within a stone inlaid on the front of Ven's shoulder before the teen blasted him again with wind.

"That's enough." A series of rods slammed into the ground around Ven and a magical barrier blocked his way. Ven hacked at it, the field buzzing with each strike. Someone offered Seifer a hand and he was pulled to his feet by Leon. Merlin, Cid, and Cloud stood with him, the three watching the barrier in case it broke. "I can't believe that's holding," Leon commented.

"It appears he's not as powerful as Axel," Merlin noted.

"Speaking of which," Cloud brought up. "How are we going to take care of him?" Axel's chakrams had lit on fire and the heat was starting to melt the shingles of nearby roofs. More reinforcements arrived as well as the Miltia trio and Ven's father. Groups went in to engage Axel while others evacuated the area.

"What did he do to him?" Terra gaped, watching as his son tried to bash his way out of the containment. "Ven!"

"He's not listening," Seifer brought up. He winced as he tried to walk. He grumbled something about getting old and shrugged off Leon's help. "He banished me from his own mind. He's accepting the darkness. At this point…"

"Don't say it," Terra snapped. Seifer shrugged and kept the rest to himself. Terra already suffered enough the last time Axel came to Traverse Town. They tried everything but nothing would have saved Aqua from her wounds. Seifer stayed back as the others went into the fray and Naminé managed to find her way over to him. She looked concerned so Seifer gave her a gentle nudge.

"See anything that could help?" The pair turned to find Riku walking over to him, back from evacuating the block.

"That gem on his shoulder," Seifer pointed out. "That and Axel ate his heart so good luck on getting Ven back to normal."

"He ate it?" Sora balked as he jogged up to the group. "Gross!"

"Do you think if we can break Ven free, we can find a way to get to Axel?" Riku asked.

"Hell is I should know," Seifer replied.

"I'm game," Sora offered. Kairi jogged up, her bow ready, and agreed to the plan once the others explained it.

"Alright. Then let's get this out of the city," Riku stated. He opened a dark portal underneath Ven and the teen sank inside. The Militia trio jumped in after him. Seifer and Naminé watched Axel look around as Ven vanished before he dove into the shadows himself, leaving the fighters frightened and confused. Seifer pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a headache again. Naminé fetched him his eye patch but even that didn't seem to help.

XxXxX

"Back here, huh?" Sora commented as they appeared within the field they found Ven in.

"Kairi and I will keep Axel busy while you try to save Ven," Riku relayed.

"Why me again?" Sora asked.

"Because you two are the closest," Kairi reminded. When Ven got frustrated after his first exam failure, he went to train under Sora until he failed again. Sora felt like it was partially his fault for Ven not passing due to bad teaching. Now he could see maybe Ven failed for other reasons. They waited until Axel stepped out of the darkness. Kairi and Riku charged forward, attacking Axel at both range and melee. Sora broke one of the joints on Ven's cage and blocked a strike aimed for his head.

"I will destroy you!" Ven seethed. Sora didn't reply and Ven's teeth bared into a snarl. He continued to clash against Sora's keyblade, sparks flying, but the brunette didn't attack once. His stance remained purely defensive, which seemed to only irritate Ven further. "You lied to me! You said I was good enough!" Sora desperately wanted to tell him he believed whole heartedly Ven would have passed his second exam. Yet he couldn't. Nothing he said would make the situation better. Ven would twist his words around and it would just continue to spiral downwards. "Say something!" the teen demanded.

"And what would you want me to say?" Sora countered. Ven growled and continued to his assault on the brunette. Sora used a full counter and sent the teen staggering back before the elder slashed at his armor. It cracked and Ven's face contorted in pain.

 ** _Hate. You're alone. No one wants you. Might as well fade. Accept the darkness_** _._ Sora heard the whispers peel away from Ven as his armor chipped. ' _Are those his thoughts?'_ Sora wondered. He decided to attack again. He mirrored his move from the time before, breaking off another chunk of Ven's armor. **_They keep casting you aside. Worthless. Can't even fight. Stay away_** _._ Sora determined the whispering hisses were indeed Ven's thoughts. Like the armor, they were brittle and being tainted by darkness and corruption. His eyes flicked to the diamond shaped stone on Ven's shoulder. It flashed the same colors at the pyrefly and Sora knew that couldn't be a coincidence.

"Ven, we wanted you to stay back because we were scared," Sora called out. Ven paused when he attacked and Sora took the chance to strike. "We were scared of losing you! After we lost Aqua and Yuffie, we didn't want to lose anyone else. We knew you were hurting but you never fully opened up to us!"

"Liar!" Ven shouted, his voice cracking. Sora leapt into an Energy Flow and bombarded Ven with a series of powerful hits. The blonde dropped to his hands and knees, the cracks in his armor revealing static underneath. "I just wanted to show you I could be a hero too," Ven whispered, his body shaking. His armor continued to crack until it blasted off of him, returning the teen to his normal size. A large slice sat on his chest but the rest of the corruption had vanished. Ven's hair and eyes shifted to their normal colors. His body pitched forward and Sora caught him before his face landed in the dirt. The brunette looked up as the pyrefly floated around Ven.

' _But there's no Moonflow. How can it survive here? Unless…_ ' Sora brushed back the hair from Ven's face. ' _Unless the Moonflow somehow got infused into Ven. Is that even possible?_ ' Something clicked in Sora's head. ' _That's why he's been avoiding Roxas. The Moonflow cleanses the spirit!'_ Sora pulled one of Ven's arms over his shoulder and hoisted the teen up by his belt. "Come on, Ven. Time to be a hero." The teen moaned in his half-conscious state. Sora half carried, half dragged Ven along towards where his friends were struggling to keep Axel at bay. The field was scarred with burns, Kairi's forehead was bleeding and Riku had a long slice down his arm. "Just a little farther," Sora grunted.

"Get down!" Kairi shouted. Sora pulled Ven with him as a chakram nearly ripped both of their arms of, earning a mouthful of dirt. As he spat it out of his mouth, he watched the pyrefly float past his gaze and it settled within the hole in Ven's chest. The blonde twitched, his body stirring. Then he quietly rose to his feet.

"Ven?" Sora pressed. The teen's eyes were glowing with the same color as the pyreflies and a soft aura surrounded the teen. Sora's eyes widened. "Aqua…" he breathed. Ven held out his keyblade and it shifted in a rainbow of sparks into a cross between his own and his mothers. As he swept it to the side, Sora felt the earth beneath him start to grow damp. Then water began to rise up from the soil and spiraled around Ven in ribbons.

"Whoa!" Kairi exclaimed when she noticed.

Ven raised his keyblade high into the air and thunder shook the heavens as dark clouds began to form. "Kingdom Hearts," Ven spoke, his voice melded with Aqua's. "May your fears and lies melt away." The clouds boomed and the ribbons of water around Ven pierced Axel through the chest. Water poured from the sky and the Heart began to steam violently, the acrid scent of sulfur filling the air. Axel screamed in rage as his body hissed, his fire dying in the flood.

XxXxX

Ven felt the darkness leave him. It brought a lot of relief as it faded. No longer the pressure, no longer the cold. Instead he felt numb. He vaguely remembered Sora bringing him to his feet, despite wanting to stay one the ground. All he wanted to do was fade. ' _What else am I good for?'_ he wondered.

 _Ventus._ That voice again. Ven wanted to know who was speaking to him. Who was that voice? Why did he know it? He felt his body hit the ground before a warm glow began to bloom in his chest. In his mind, the image of his mother appeared.

"Mom," he called out weakly. Aqua leaned down and kissed him on top of the head. Without realizing it, Ven's eyes overflowed with tears. They spilled out over his cheeks and his mother helped him to his feet.

"Be strong, Ven," Aqua said, her voice distant. Ven leapt forward and embraced her, her body exploding into dozens of pyreflies. "Be strong," her voice repeated.

"Mo-…" Ven's voice got cut out as he saw a flaming figure erupted before him. Twisted, tormented, burning away. Inside, a withered figure sat curled up as their very existence faded. "Axel," he whispered. He needed to put out the fire. He felt his mother's courage well up inside of him and the energy of water answered his call. Ven pierced the flames before dousing it with rain. The flame screamed as it tried to hang on but then it flickered and changed to a smoldering ember. Ven saw the dark shroud clinging to Axel, gnawing at him and feeding off his energy. The teen held out his blade, imbuing the wind around it, and charged forward. He sank the blade into the dark creature and it squealed in pain before erupting into shreds.

Ven blinked and he found himself perched on Axel's shoulders, his wind blade sunken deep into Axel's skull in the center of his forehead. The red head sat frozen for a moment before he staggered back. Then his energy exploded, sweeping it across the plains. Ven was blown off from the deity's shoulders but landed on something soft. When he looked around, he saw Axel had caught him in his hand. The red head's gauntlets now lacked metal upon the palm. Ven's eyes shifted upwards to Axel's face, the large crack in the helmet gone. Instead was a gentle smile on the Heart's lips.

"Ventus," Axel spoke. It sounded more like Axel than it ever did and it sent chills down the teen's spine. The Heart opened his other hand, a small glowing orb appearing. "Thank you." The light flashed and Ven felt a tight squeeze in his chest as his heart returned. Axel set Ven down on the ground, stroking his thumb over the teen's hair. He looked up to the trio picking themselves off of the ground before returning his attention to the blonde. "Farewell, my child." Axel stood and he dissipated into a swirl of light and dark sparks. Ven watched as the sparks faded one by one until nothing remained. Then the drain of the fight caught up to him and he passed out.

XxXxX

"How is he?" Riku asked.

Demyx shifted his position against the post, his arms crossed over his chest. "Healing," the summoner replied. He looked out to where Ven sat on top of a bent over palm tree. The teen stared out at the ocean while the pyrefly continued to spiral slowly around his shoulder. The spirit of his mother now watching over him.

"Did you find anything?" Riku questioned.

"Yeah. It's as you guessed. He got infused with part of the Moonflow as they were trying to heal him. He's like a walking spirit cleanser, although I'm not sure if he's going to fully recover. His own spirit's been damaged and nothing we've done seems to help it. Even bringing him back to Djose didn't help," Demyx explained.

"The curse of healing others but not yourself," Riku murmured.

"He'll be alright." The pair looked up as Kairi joined them, her hands tucked behind her back. "He has a lot of people looking out for him." Riku remembered how distraught and relieved Terra had been when they brought his son back home. Terra hardly left the teen's side the entire time he was in the hospital. His eyes shifted to the outline of Sora strolling across the beach and watched as the brunette hopped up onto the trunk next to Ven. The pair talked for a moment before Sora pulled Ven into a sideways hug.

"You think Ven will have Sora train him again?" Kairi asked.

Riku smirked. "You never know with Ven. He's like the wind. Wild and unpredictable."

 **A/N-Thanks again my lovely readers! Hope you all had a great summer! :D**


End file.
